A few days ago, Britain and Germany signed what was described as a “historic defense agreement,” aimed at enhancing security, investment, and jobs. Under the agreement, the German defense company Rheinmetall will open a new factory in the United Kingdom for military manufacturing, supporting hundreds of jobs. The two countries will work together to develop drones and a new long-range missile.
German maritime surveillance aircraft will also patrol the North Atlantic from Lossiemouth Air Base in Scotland. The agreement covers several areas, including missile development and additional training in the Baltic region, and hosting German anti-submarine aircraft in Scotland.
German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius said: “Security in Europe cannot be taken for granted.” This agreement is considered part of a major plan drawn up by the new British Labor government to strengthen relations between the United Kingdom and major European capitals, whether through NATO, or on a bilateral basis.
British Defense Minister John Halley added, “The Trinity House agreement means unprecedented levels of new cooperation between the armed forces and German industry.” Bilateral relations have been at the center of attention for the UK since Labor won the general election in July. Three weeks after the vote, Haley traveled to Berlin to hold talks with his German counterpart, with the aim of fulfilling a pledge to “quickly negotiate” military and security agreements with European allies.
The “Trinity House” text will complement the defense deals between the three major military powers in Europe (Britain, Germany and France), and the other is the “Lancaster House” agreement that was concluded before Britain’s exit from the European Union in 2010, between the United Kingdom and France, and the “Aachen” Treaty of 2019. , which links France and Germany to military coordination.
The British government has already launched a strategic defense review to determine its future military needs, but “Anglo-German” cooperation meets Berlin’s interests more than London’s.
Under the agreement, Rheinmetall obtained a deal to produce “artillery equipment” in the United Kingdom starting in 2027, a move that will create 400 jobs in the United Kingdom, according to the British Ministry of Defense, and significantly expand the company’s presence in the British arms market.
“Rheinmetall is getting a good deal out of this, but it is very well integrated within the UK anyway,” said Ed Arnold, who has tracked the bilateral relationship at the Royal United Services Institute in London.
Rheinmetall already manufactures armored vehicles and tanks for the British Army in the United Kingdom, and its CEO, Armin Paperberger, met British Prime Minister Keir Starmer in Berlin this summer.
The bilateral agreement also begins work with Rheinmetall to develop new parts of the Boxer armored vehicle for future orders, and includes drones as another area of industrial cooperation. Arnold said, “The agreement constitutes a ‘strong foundation’ for enhancing cooperation in the future, including joint research into long-range missile technology.”
London and Berlin will work to develop “deep strike” capabilities capable of flying longer distances and with greater accuracy than current weapons, such as the Storm Shadow cruise missiles, produced by MBDA.
The British Defense Minister announced, on the sidelines of the NATO summit last week, that the United Kingdom will participate in the European initiative to develop effective and modern weapons and jointly produce long-range missiles, which includes Germany, in addition to France, Italy and Poland.
Arnold said: “The agreement creates more points of contact between the United Kingdom and Germany at the bilateral level, and through NATO in areas where both sides are already strong.”
Cooperation also includes monitoring underwater infrastructure, which has been a primary goal in recent months, given the security vulnerabilities surrounding gas pipelines, as well as communications and electricity cables.
To this end, the agreement grants German B-8A maritime patrol aircraft, used to hunt submarines, the right to fly from a Scottish base. However, London did not get everything it wanted from the agreement, and the United Kingdom did not pledge to join the German-led Sky Shield air defense initiative. This scheme links about 20 countries, which sparked France’s dismay, in an alliance to purchase and operate a multi-layered defense system across the continent, with Berlin and London committed to working together on such technology. From the American “Politico”.
• The British government launched a strategic defense review to determine its future military needs.
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